Friction-clutch.



r. o. manna;

v mmol 01mm. MUNOI nl, u'. UN.

898,946. Psna sept. 15,1908.

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T. 0. WERNER.

monos olmos. PPLIOUOI FILED JAI. 29. 100B.

898,946'. rammed sept. 15,1908.

JJ d? j j; 3f f l l Y l Qwvunlor m WWW/m W50/7W m f v TP aM/ amm T. 0. WERNER.

PBIOI'ION CLUTCH. nruonrol num nl. u. 1m.

898,946. Patented Sept. 15,1908.

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UNlflElf) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS ODBNWELUER WERNER, Ui" BANGOR, PENNSYLVANIA.

FBICTION-CLUTCH.

nieiits in friction clutches, and its object is.

to provide a means whereby great clutching power may be established between the drive and driven members at the expenditure of a com aratively small initial force.

T ie invention comprises a drive member f and a driven member, and upon one of these members there is carried a drinn andiipon the other member there are carried friction shoes segmental ni shape so as to conform to the contour of the drinn, and these shoes are interconnected through a lever and link systeni to a sliding sleeve which ina be moved lon itudinally 'through the usua collar and for connections from any suitable means of manipulation such, for instance, as a manipulating lever. The sliding sleeve is connected by toggle links to rinlialiy-inovable members on opposite sides of the center of one of the friction members, and these radially movable members are connected to levers fulcruined to one of the rotatable members of the clutch, and the levers in turn ai'e conneet ed by rock-arms to i ',k-shafts and the latter are provided with op|iositely-projecting arms each in turn connected to op )osito ends of the friction shoes, so that wien the rockshafts are rotated the shoes are contracted upon the friction drum and so the two friction members aro coupled together. The parts may be so adjusted that when moved to a clutched position the several levers and links are brought into alineinent and are thereby locked against movement when the device is used as a friction clutch, but when the device is used as a brake some play of the arts is desirable. Means are also provided or adjusting the parts to take up wear and to prevent the friction shoes from moving away from the. drinn more than a very limitcd distance so that should the parts continue to rotate after the friction shoes are relieved from the action of the manipulation mechanism these. shoes will be. prevented from moving outward under the action of ccntrifugal force, except for a very limited distance siillicient to permit them to move. out of operative engngi-,mentwith the drinn.

A opsommen nr Lum-s rama.

Application lied Jennery n. im. Inlet lo. 418,0.

Patented Sept. 15, 1908.

l The iuvciitioii will be best understood from a consideration of the following detail dcseription taken in connection with the m.'- compauying drawings forming a part. of this. s|a-c|lication, in which drawings,

constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a section through aportioii of the same to show the means for preventing tlie friction slices from moving more than a limited distance from the friction drinn. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the clutch. Fig. 4 is a side view of the clutch at a different point of view than in Fig. 3, iarts being omitted and different phases of the operation of. the clutch being indicated. li ig. .'i is a view showing a single clutch or brake band. Fi r. ti is an elevation partly in section, showing another form o clutci band and distance-roller supports. Figs. to l?. are detail views.

In thc following description one member of the friction clutch will be referred to as the drive member andthe other will be referred to as the driven member with the underniission of powei' may be reversed without in any manner affecting the operation of the invention, and the reversibility of the structure so far as the invention is concerned is to be understood even though in the following description and claims the terms drive meinbei" and "driven member" be limited each to a particular one only of the two inembers of the clutch.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a shaft 1, upon which is mounted a gear wheel 2, the gear being shown as keyed to the shaft by means of a suitable key 3. The gear wheel 2, which is, however, to be taken as indicative of any other suitable member may be replaced by a disk or other structure. Also the gear or other member replacing it need not necessarily be keyed to the shaft. In the following description and in the claims this part of the device will be Vdesignated the drive member". The niembcr 2, as shown, is a gear of the open or spider type having its rim and hub joined li 'sp olics 4. Upon the shaft l thereis also mounted a winding drinn 5 which may he taken as the driven member, and indicative of any other structure to which power isr to be applied through the friction clutch or the drum may, under sinne circiiinstances, constitute. thc drive member. The drum 5 may he free to Figure l is a face view of a friction clutch standing, however, that t ie order of transg y esame rotate upon the shaft l, or may bekcyed thereto when the other clutch ineiiiber is ree to rot-ate on the shaft. Formed at one end of the winding drum 5 is another drum 6 which may be of somewhat greater diameter than the winding druiii and is separated therefrom by an annular flange 7.

As shown in the drawings, two diainetrically opposite spokes 4 have formed thereon about inidwa of their length expanded portions 8 to cac i of which are secured two guide stri s 9, each formed with an overhang 10, saidguide strips 9 being spaced apart with their overhangs facing one another and arranged parallel for the reception of a block 11 capable of longitudinal movement between the guide strips and held in place by the overhanging port-ion l0 which enga vs suitable channels l2 formed in the sides o the block. ln small stnictures these guide strips may be omitted and slots in the s iokes will answer. Any other means for periiiittin v longitudinal guided movement of the bloc s 1l ina be provided, and any number of blocks an cooperating parts may be used, there being more than two blocks employed in large structures. Each block has formed in its upper'face a pair of ears 13, to which is pivoted one end of a toggle link 14, the other end of which is pivotally connected between a corresponding pair of ears 15 formed on the periphery of a s eeve 16 movable longitudinally on the shaft 1 but which may be, if desired, constrained to rotate therewithl b means of the ke '3 which Vengages a'suitab e keywa in the s ecve. For small structures the lin a alone will be siillieicnt to cause the rotation ofthe sleeve, and when the driving member is not keyed to the shaft, the sleeve 16 is also not keyed to the shaft'. Formed in the sleeve near one end thereof is an annular channel 17 for the reception of the usual ring under the control ol a fork and connected to an operating lever in the manner customary in structures of this character. Since these last-named parts may be of the ordinary construction and in themselves form no part of the present invcntoii, they have been omitted from the drawings.

As will be readily seen f roin an inspection of Fig. 4, when the sleeve. 16 is moved toward the gear-wheel 2 then the blocks ll are forced radially outward in the guideways 9, and when the sleeve 16 is moved away from the gear wheel then these blocks are drawn toward the axis of theshaft. Each block has formed thereon a pintle 18 constituting a journal for the reception of an eye. 19 formed on one end of a lever 2l). ',lhis eye 19 of tlie lever is held in place bv a washer 21 and a cottci' pin 22, or any ot ier suitable means of securing the parts against accidental displacement may be. used. The other cnil of each lever .0 is'coiinected to n stud 23 formed 0n the next ad jacent spoke 4 to the one cai'- iying the particular bleek l1 under consideration. ln the drawings this end of the lever 20 is shown as secured in place by a washer 24 and nut 25 applied tothe stud 23. Near that end of the lever 20 mounted upon the stud .3 the lever is formed willi an enlargement 26 carrying a stud 27 which in tui-ii receives an eve 28 formed on one end with an arm 29 and held in place by a washer 30 and a eotter pin 3 l or in any ot ier manner. 'llic other end of the arm 29 is fast on a rock-shui t 32 having journal bearings in that spoke 4 located on the other side of the spoke carrying the sliding block from the spoke carrying the stud 23. This rock-shaft 32 extends entirely through the gear wheel, and upon the opposite end to which thc arm 29 is secured, this rock-shaft has two projecting arms 33 and 34.

Referring now to the frletwndrum o, this drinn has applied to its surface two friction shoes 35 and 36 cach composed of a metallic band 37 carrying a number of segmental bearing blocks 38 of wood or other suitable material, which under some circumstances may be made of metal. stitute a wearing face for the shoe and are to be considered reversible when shown. Fast to each end of each shoe is a plate 39 teriiiinating in ears 40. `Between the cars 4t) on one plate 39 is pivoted an eye 4l formed on one end of a threaded rod 42 entering a turn buckle 43 and also carrying a lock-nut 44. The turn buckle 43 has its other end entered by a threaded rod 45 carrying a lock nut 46,

47 receiving an cyc 48 formed on the end of the rock-arm 33. The cars 4() on the plate 39 at the other end of each shoe receive iin eve 49 formed on the end of the rock-arm 34.

he pivotal connections between the several arts are forined by suitable pins which may be headed pins, as indicated at 50, and these pins may be held in place by cotteiI pins 5l or in any other manner.

0n the inner face of the gear wheel. 2 are formed bosses 52 which :nav be sutablv tapped to receive the threadei ends of angle rods 53 carrying pintles 54 at their free, ends parallel with the iiiain body of the respective rods 53, and these piiitles each have jonrnaled thereupon a roller 55. may be suitably threadedto receive nuts 56 for holding the rollers in place, or any other suitable :means may be used for this purpose. The rollers are adjustable to and from the metallic face of the shoes since they are mounted cccentrically to the axis of the rods 53, and when these rollers have been propei'ly adjusted they may belocked in the adjusted position by lock nuts 57I upon the threaded ends of the rods contiguous to the bosses 52. The Arollers will rest in thc'patli of the shoes 35 and 36 about. midway of their width and disposed at several points about their peripheries,'and in practice the adjust- The blocks 38 coni vand this threaded rod terminates in Ytwo cai-sV 'lhe pintles ment of these rollers is such that the shoes may move slightly away from the face of the drum 6 so that the drum may be free to 'rotate if so desired, without wearing the blocks 38 when the drum is unclutclied from the drive iiiemher.

Let it be assumed that the gear wheel 2 is representative of the drive member of a hoisting mechanism and that the winding drinn 5 ieceives the hoisting rope or cable. Let it further ho assumed that power is being constantly applied to the gear wheel 2 and that the latter is rotated. sleeve 16, which when the clutch is inoperative is in the dotted line isition shown in Fig. 4, is moved toward `tie gear .wheel by means of a suitable manipulating lever, which as before stated is not shown in the drawings. As the sleeve 16 is moved toward the gear wheel the toggle action of the levers or links 14 will move the blocks 11 radially outward toward the periphe of the gear wheel. The levers 20, have t eir ends connected to the pintles 18 which also move outward toward the periphery of the gear wheel. In order to make the changed relation between that end of the lever connected with the block and thc said block, the eye 19 is formed with a slot 58. The movement of cach lever 20 about the stud 23 toward the periphery of the gear wheel causes a cornespnding movement of the free end of the rock arms 29 in the same direction, and theseV rock arms cause a corresponding rotative movement of the rock-shafts 32 which' iu turn move the rock-arms 33 and 34 in a direction to cause the corres ending ends of the shoes to approach eac other. These movements tend to reduce the effective diameter of the arcs described by the shoes, and these shoes are therefore brought into frictional contact with the periphery of the drum 6. The oye 30 in each arm 2f) is formed with a slot 59 to accommodate it to the different arc-shaped paths through which each eye 30 and the corresponding stud 27 pass.

The leverage of the arm 29 upon the shaft 32 is largely in excess of that of the rock-arms 33 and 34 and consequently a great force is exerted upon the shoes to draw them into contact with the periphery of the drum 6 by the movement of the arms 29 in the roper direction. These anus are moved in t e operative direction by the levers 20 and here again is a considerable gain in power. The levers .20 are in turn moved by the toggle links 14, and once again there is a marked gain in power over the initial force applied to the operating lever. For these reasons very little force need be initially exerted in order to bring to bear upon the shoes 35 and 36 such compressive force upon the drinn 6 as to hold them in any adj usted degree of frictional contact. It is therefore possible to the operator to couple the driving member to the Now, when the driven member through the friction clutch in such manner as to provide for the transfer of great power from one member to the other, with an exertion b the operator of but little force and far less t an is necessary with friction clutches auch as are commonly employed for the iurposes to which this invention is applicab e.

When the friction members are in the engaged position the links 14 are in line one with another in o i osition to any force tending to move the liocks ll toward the shaft l, and consequently the clutch is then locked in the engaged position against accidental displacement. i

It has been stated that the drum 6 may be formed in one piece with the drum 5, but in Fig. 2 these parts are shown as formed in two pieces which may be the preferable construction since the outer periphery of the drum 6 is liable to wear and it ma be necessary fr om time to time to replace this drum, which can be done much more cheaply when the drum 6 is made separate from the drum 5. The two drums may be connected together for synchronous rotation. The shoes 35 and 36 are in effect flexible straps connected at opposite ends to the rock-arms 33 and 34 so as to be moved toward cach other and so grip the outer criphery ofthe drum 6.

In `ig. 5 there is shown but one friction strap designated b the numeral 60, and this strap extends su tantially all the wa around the member to which it isa plied a though that member is omitted in t ie drawin fs. The strap 6() in the form. shown in Fig. 5 may be used either for the transmission of power from a drive to a driven member or as a brake strapsince the invention may be employed for the ordinaryy urposes of a friction clutch or for purposes o slowing down or stopping the member already in rotation.

Instead of locking the rollers 55 in the manner described with reference to Fi is. 1 to 4, they may be mounted as shown in igs. 6 andy 8, where the an le rods have applied to them close to the rol er a strap 61 appro riately ICH.l

bent and having one end slotted, as s iown at y 62, for the reception of a pin or vbolt 63 to which is applied a mit 64, or the bolt 63 and nut 64 may be replaced by an ordinary set or cap screw. The pin or bolt is fast on a boss 65 formed on the inner periphery of the gear 2 orvotlier member which may be used iii place of a gear. By means of the straps '6l the pintles of the rollers may be adjusted about their point of support in the gear wheel or other like structure and their relation to the friction strap or straps be tluis fixed, as desired.

In Figs. 6, 7 and t), the friction stra is shown i ifferently constructed than in ligs. i to 4. mental frames 66 terminating at each end in In this case there are formed segoyes 67 so arranged that the end of one frame may be coupled to the meeting end of the other frame by nieans of pins 68 or other suitable connecting devices, so that the friction band is made up of a number of segmental links pivoted together. The frames ou have mushy-directed radial side hangen 69 against which bear friction blocks 70 held in place by plates 7l formed with stud screws 72 in line one with the other and receiving turn buckles 73 by means of which the blocks may be contracted or expanded to a limited extent. In this case the rim of the member 6 is formed with a circular move 74 having the inner walls 75 of the sides of the groove divergent, as shown, while the corres riding portions of the blocks 70 are beve ed ao aa to present the requisite amount of friction surface without necessitating a wide flat band, as would be necessary with large friction unite.

In Fil, the friction blocks 70 are held to the me 66 by set screws 76 and are adjustable toward each other to grip a beveled flange 77 formed on the outer face of the member 6.

In Fig. 1l, the friction blocks or shoes 78 are formed on one piece with a central beveled groove 7.9 fitting the beveled flange 77, but in this case there is no provision for lateral adjustment for the taking up of wear.

In Fig. 12, the member 6 is formed with a beveled groove 80 similar to the groove 74 of the structure of F' .19, and the friction block or shoe 81 is sha to engage the groov`80.

Several examples of the forms of friction blocks are given to show that the invention is not to be all limited to one particular form of friction block or friction shoe, but this maf be chan d in a great variety of ways an may be s aped differently than any of the examples given without in an manner departing from the invention. or is it necessary that blocks of different material than the framework of the shoe be used. It is preferable, however, that the link form of friction shoe be employed and especially in large structures the shoe will be shaped with the beveled e ng face. Where the link form of friction s oe is employed, there is a limiting roller 55 for each shoe, thus keeping them at an equal distance from the member they are designed to engage. It is also within the scope of the invention to use bolts in place of the pins or studs mentioned through-- 'out the specification, or any other suitable means for connecting the parts is to be emplo ed if so desired.

en the device is used as s. brake the drive member then no longer rforms the functionv of a rime mover for t ie other member but will ie ii fixed structure, while upon the drive member, and

esame is to be slowed down or stopped will carry the friction shoes and the parts controlling the same, while the fixed member may be simply in the form of a fixed drum or other shaped structure with which the friction shoes may he brought into engagement to slowdown or stop the other member. Again, when the device is used as an ordinary friction clutch, either member may carry the friction shoes and parts controlling the sinne, whether that member be the driving meinber or the driven member. The term clutch is to be understood as applicable to either a friction clutch where power is transferred from one member to another member or to a brake where a moving member is frictionally clutched to a stationary member to control or atop the movement of the moving member.

What is claimed is:-

1. A friction clutch com rising a drive member, a driven member, iction shoes or stra encircling the driven member, rocksha ts carried by the drive member rockarms on the rock-shafts connected to the contiguous ends of the friction shoes or straps, another rock-arm for each rock-shaft, a lever for each last-named rock-arm and carried .by the drive member, radially sliding blocks carried by the drive member and each con-A nectcd to one of the levers a slidin sleeve a tog, le ink between the sleeve and each sliding ook.

2. A friction clutch comprising a drive member, a driven member, friction strapsor shoes encircling the driven member rockshafts upon the drive member, roc -arms upon each rock-shaft, one rock-arm being connected directly to one end of one of the friction straps, adjustable connections bev-v tween each of the other rock-arms and the corresponding ends of the friction straps, an-

other rock-arm on each rock-shaft, a. lever for I each rock-arm having s pivot support on the driven member, and connected to the lastnamed rock-arm at an intermediate point in the length of the lever, radially slidin blocks on the driven member connected to t e ends of the levers remote from their pivot points,

mediate point connected to the end of the rock nrm, radially sliding blocks one for enli lever and ooni'ieoted thereto st the end roiiiotcfroni its point of connection with the clutch member, nml means for moving seid radially sliding blocks to detente the clutch.

4. In n friction clutch, u. means for opereting the friction members comprising rock scam I 'a shafts connected to the friction members, rock arms on the shafts, s lever for each rock arm carried by one of the clutch members at one end and movable about the point of connection as a fulcrum, said lever being connected lo its rock arm at n point closer to the fnlvrum tlmn to the other end of the lever, a radially slidin block for each lever and connected to the ree end thereof, a sliding sleeve on the clutch member carrying the levers, and o to rgle link between each sliding block and the s eeve.

5. In a friction clutch, a drive member, a

driven member in the form of n drum, straps or shoes encircling the drum, und stops on the drive member exterior to and m operative relation to the straps or shoesisaid stops each eonslsti y of a roller, a rotate le mounting u n whie i the roller is supported cecentncnl y, and means for locking the mounting in any position of Iadjustment comprising a curved slotted strap connected at one end to i the roller mounting and at'the other end held my own, I have hereto allixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

i 'mons onlswnmmn wenste. Witnesses:

TuoMAs K. Lnwxs, J. WxLLAan Parr. 

